Tabular device for an office machine

ABSTRACT

A tabulator mechanism for an office machine, such as a typewriter, in which the tabulator rack is mass fabricated by a simple manufacturing process, and the tabulating stops are of an inexpensive construction. The stops can be easily mounted or removed from the tabulator rack. Furthermore, the tabulator mechanism construction is not only inexpensive but effectively achieves the desired function.

Elite Sttes atet n Petersson TABULAR DEVICE FOR AN OFFICE MACHINE [75} Inventor: Leif Gunnar Petersson, Svangsta,

Sweden [73] Assignee: Facit-Halda Aktiebolag, Svangsta,

Sweden [22] Fi1ed: Oct. 1, 1973 [21] App]. No.: 402,154

[301 Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 21, 1973 Sweden 7303960 1 US. Cl. 197/176, 197/70 1 Int. Cl B41j 21/02, B41} 21/04 1 Field of Search 197/176, 177, 178, 179, 197/70 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Myers et a]. 197/179 X 1 Mar. 18,1975

2,805,749 9/1957 Kleinschmidt 197/179 3,279,577 10/1966 Menicunti .1 197/176 3,333,669 8/1967 3,583,542 6/1971 3,586,150 6/1971 Holtklint 197/176 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 310,561 4/1929 Great Britain 197/179 Primary E.\'aminerC1ifford D. Crowder [57] ABSTRACT A tabulator mechanism for an office machine, such as a typewriter, in which the tabulator rack is mass fabricated by a simple manufacturing process, and the tabulating stops are of an inexpensive construction. The stops can be easily mounted or removed from the tabulator rack. Furthermore, the tabuiator mechanism construction is not only inexpensive but effectively achieves the desired function.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures TABULAR DEVICE FOR AN OFFICE MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In presently known typewriters, the tabulator mechanism comprises a tabulator rack which takes the form of an elongated bar having sections provided with grooves extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The grooves are spaced apart a distance which corresponds to a single travelling step of the typewriter carriage. In known typewriters, the tabulating stops are so constructed and arranged that they can assume two different positions, i.e., an operative position and an inoperative position. In the operative position during the relative movement between the paper and the impact position of the printing element, the tabulating stop acts upon a release member or a stop member when passing the desired printing position. When this occurs, the above-mentioned relative movement is stopped either directly by the impact of the stop member or by a special stop member being engaged by the release member. The use of the release member is known especially in the construction of electrically operated office machines in which the tabulating stops would be broken or damaged if the tabulating stop struck the stop member directly. This problem arises due to the face that the magnitude and velocity of the moving masses, such as a typewriter carriage, is so great that the stopping force of the mass cannot be absorbed by the relatively weak stop. On the other hand, the release means do not require any greater forces in order to enter into the desired function. The aforesaid constructional arrangement is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,150.

The known tabulator devices for office machines are relatively complicated to manufacture as well as comparatively expensive to produce. In this connection, the tabulator rack of known construction is provided with alarge number of transverse grooves being fabricated by means of a time consuming milling procedure. Moreover, it is difficult to mount the tabulating stops, since they have to be fitted in the grooves of the tabulator rack and must be provided with a through shaft and a latching means that can maintain the stops in a preset position.

The present invention is directed to a tabulator device for office machines, such as typewriters, in which the tabulator rack constructed according to the teachings of the present invention can be mass produced by a simple technique, such as punching. Furthermore, the tabulator stops can be manufactured simply and inexpensively.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tabulator rack in the form of a bent metal plate of a special construction to accommodate the flexible tabulating stops.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an arrangement to facilitate the automatic mounting of stops in the tabulator rack.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clearing device of simple construction which will clear the tabulator mechanism in both directions of movement of the tabulator rack.

The device will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the tabulator rack and a single tabulating stop constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention and illustrating diagramatically the structure for setting the tabulating stop;

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the tabulator rack shown in FIG. 1 having all the tabulating stops mounted thereon in which one stop is in the inoperative position while the remainder are in the active position;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines III-Ill of FIG. 1 illustrating the manner of mounting each of the tabulating stops in the tabulator rack.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A tabulator rack 10 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 for use in a tabulator mechanism of an office machine, such as a typewriter T. The tabulator rack is formed by a simple manufacturing process as a single bent metal plate of two contiguous U-shaped sections opening in opposite directions. The construction results in three parallel upstanding parts ll, l2, 13. The part 11 is provided with a row of circular holes 14 while the part 12 has a series of elongated holes 15, the longitudinal axis of each hole being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinalaxis of the tabulator rack 10. The part 13 of the rack 10 has a row of holes 16, each in the form of a substantially V-shaped opening with its axis of symmetry parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rack 10. The distance between each of the holes 16 corresponds to a single travelling step of the typewriter carriage. It should be observed from FIG. 3 that the elongated holes 15 in the middle part 12 of the tabulator rack 10 are displaced to the left of the corresponding holes 14 and 16 in the respective parts 11 and 13 of the. rack.

The tabulating stops 17 are shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3; however, as illustrated in the latter figure, each tabulating stop 17 is fabricated of a yieldable wire, such as music wire, and is provided with a head 17a. It should be noted that the tabulating stops 17 are so constructed to be suitable for mass production in which a single operation, a suitable length of wire can be cut for a stop and simultaneously one end of the wire can be staved to form a head 17a. When the tabulator mechanism is being mounted in the carriage, it is a rather simple pro-.

cedure to guide the stops l7 manufactured in the above manner directly into the corresponding holes 14, 15, and 16 intended to accommodate each of the stops 17.

Referring to FIG. 3, it should be observed that each of the tabulating stops 17 are not perpendicular to the parts ll, 12, and 13 of the tabulator rack 10 but are bowed substantially at the center of the stop. This howing effect is created since, as mentioned hereinabove, the holes 15 are displaced with respect to the holes 14 and 16. Moreover, each of the holes 16 is located on a line which extends substantially at right angles to the rack 10 through the holes 14. Because of this arrangement, the stop 17 has to be bent back in order to insert the end thereof through the hole 16. The end of the stop then will be under tension and will snap either into the bottom or top of the substantially V-shaped hole 16. The stop 17 then will assume a stable condition in either of the aforesaid positions.

As seen in FIG. 1, the active position of the tabulating stop 17 is set by an adjustment yoke 19 which by means of lever 21 of the type common in typewriters is actuated by a tabulator set key 22. The adjustment yoke 19 is loosely supported on a shaft 20 so that when the key 22 is depressed, theyoke 19 is turned in an angular movement and the curved finger 23 connected to the yoke 19 engages the end of the tabulating stop 17 to urge the same down to the lower active position of the stop.

As best seen in FIG. 2, a clearing member 24 is shown with adjustment yoke 19 and the curved finger 23 removed for purposes of clarity. The clearing member 24 is fixed on shaft 20, and as shown diagrammatically, the clearing member 24 is actuated by a clearing key 26. In this manner, the clearing member 24 is rotated in a clockwise direction thereby engaging the end of the tabulating stop 17 to return the same to its upper inoperative position as seen in the extreme left hand stop 17 of FIG. 2. It will be noted that the clearing member 24 is provided with inclined edges 27 and 28 which permits the rapid clearing of the stop, since the carriage with its tabulator rack moves linearly in one direction or the other after the clearing key 26 is depressed and one of the inclined edges of the clearing member 24 moves the tabulating stops 17 to their upper inoperative position. Thus, the clearing member 24 functions in either path of movement of the carriage.

Referring to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the tabulating stops 17 and the stop members of the office machine can co-act through a releasing means 29 (FIG. 1) which when struck by a tabulating stop 17 in its lower active position actuates the respective stop member of the machine.

What is claimed is:

l. A tabulator mechanism for an office machine having stop members comprising a tabulator rack provided with a plurality of tabulating stops co-acting with said stop members, said tabulator rack having three spaced structural elements, each being provided with a set of spaced holes extending in separate spaced planes parallel to the longitudinal axis of said tabulator rack, the spacing between each adjacent hole in each set corresponding to one step of travel of the machine, each of the holes in said middle set being offset relative to the corresponding holes in both the interior and exterior structural elements, said tabulating stops being yieldable pins and each being inserted through one hole in each of the three corresponding rows of holes so that the tabulating stop will be under tension in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said tabulator rack, each hole of the exterior set of spaced holes being elongated and arcuate whereby an end of each of the tabulating stop assumes a stable position in a selected end of said elongated and arcuate hole.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spaced structural elements are upstanding parts, each having a respective set of spaced holes.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said tabulator rack is constituted of a single piece bent to form said three, spaced upstanding parts.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 further comprising means which selectively move said tabulating stop into or out of an inoperative position in one end of one if said arcuate holes and out of or into an operative position in the other end of said arcuate hole.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means includes a curved finger, a lever operatively connected to said curved finger whereby when said lever is depressed said finger engages a selected tabulating stop to move the latter to its operative position.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 4 further comprising a clearing member to return said tabulating stops to the inoperative position, said member being provided with a surface to engage one or more of said tabulating stops sucsessively when said tabulator rack is moved past said clearing member.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said surface of the clearing member constitutes inclined edge portions permitting the clearing member to return said tabulating stops to the inoperative position when the tabulator rack is moved in one direction or in the opposite direction. 

1. A tabulator mechanism for an office machine having stop members comprising a tabulator rack provided with a plurality of tabulating stops co-acting with said stop members, said tabulator rack having three spaced structural elements, each being provided with a set of spaced holes extending in separate spaced planes parallel to the longitudinal axis of said tabulator rack, the spacing between each adjacent hole in each set corresponding to one step of travel of the machine, each of the holes in said middle set being offset relative to the corresponding holes in both the interior and exterior structural elements, said tabulating stops being yieldable pins and each being inserted through one hole in each of the three corresponding rows of holes so that the tabulating stop will be under tension in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said tabulator rack, each hole of the exterior set of spaced holes being elongated and arcuate whereby an end of each of the tabulating stop assumes a stable position in a selected end of said elongated and arcuate hole.
 2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spaced structural elements are upstanding parts, each having a respective set of spaced holes.
 3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said tabulator rack is constituted of a single piece bent to form said three, spaced upstanding parts.
 4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 further comprising means which selectively move said tabulating stop into or out of an inoperative position in one end of one if said arcuate holes and out of or into an operative position in the other end of said arcuate hole.
 5. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means includes a curved finger, a lever operatively connected to said curved finger whereby when said lever is depressed said finger engages a selected tabulating stop to move the latter to its operative position.
 6. The combination as set forth in claim 4 further comprising a clearing member to return said tabulating stops to the inoperative position, said member being provided with a surface to engage one or more of said tabulating stops sucsessively when said tabulator rack is moved past said clearing member.
 7. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said surface of the clearing member constitutes inclined edge portions permitting the clearing member to return said tabulating stops to the inoperative position when the tabulator rack is moved in one direction or in the opposite direction. 